


Cherry Gloss

by reebye



Category: ITZY (Band)
Genre: ??? - Freeform, Alternate Universe - High School, Crushes, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Girls Kissing, Jealousy, Jisu is a panicked gay, Pining, blink and you'll miss seungjin, everyone in itzy shows up at least once, hyunjin is a good bro, i don't play soccer but i did my best with those scenes, soccer goalie Chaeryeong, soccer player Yeji, stray kids maknae line is also here, yeji is a gay mess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:40:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23512507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reebye/pseuds/reebye
Summary: The way Yeji sees it, she only has two options:1)	Come clean and admit that she is in love with her best friend.2)	Ignore her feelings and pretend that everything is normal.Option 2 becomes increasingly harder to maintain when Jisu starts wearing that pretty red lip gloss.
Relationships: Choi Jisu | Lia/Hwang Yeji
Comments: 11
Kudos: 204





	Cherry Gloss

**Author's Note:**

> i really just :/ felt like writing some ladies idk i had fun writing this short little thing and i hope you enjoy it !!!  
> (this is not beta read but its fine)

There isn’t a problem. Everything is fine. Everything is normal. _There’s no problem._ Except there is a problem. A big, massive, life changing, problem that Yeji doesn’t know how to deal with.

She paces around her room, chewing her already blunt thumb nail into a ragged stub. It’s an ugly habit she’s had since she was a kid, but she feels like biting her nails helps her think, even if it means chipping her fresh nail polish off.

Jisu had just left her house. Yeji’s bed is still unmade from them sleeping in it the night before, remnants of her best friend are still scattered around her room. A cup with lipstick on the rim here, a forgotten pair of headphones there, a hairbrush left out of its place from when the shorter girl had offered to braid her long hair for her. Yeji twists one of her braids between her fingers of the hand that wasn’t currently being chewed.

The thing is: the night before wasn’t any different from any other sleep over the two of them had had. Jisu came over and they had a night of watching movies, eating junk food and doing normal sleep over things.

It was when Jisu had offered to paint her nails that Yeji noticed her _problem_.

She couldn’t be sure of what the time was, but they had just finished their second movie of the night and Yeji was cracking open a new can of sparkling water when her best friend started digging through her bag.

“I brought nail polish with me” Jisu had explained, “I was hoping you’d let me do your nails.”

They both know that Yeji isn’t the type to go around with a manicure, to put in much effort in her appearance in the first place. The most she does on a regular basis is basic makeup. Jisu had this hopeful glint in her eye and who was she, to deny her friend of such a simple pleasure.

Yeji sighed looking at her slightly tattered nails “You want me to see if my sister has a nail file we can use?”

Jisu beamed at her with a simple nod of her head before she continued her search through her bag.

Yeji went and dug through the drawers in her bathroom until she found her sister's nail kit.

Then _it_ happened.

Jisu is gentle when she files her nails. The smaller girl was paying extra attention to be careful on the fingers that had hangnails. Her hand was softly holding hers, her gaze intense as she concentrated. There wasn’t much for Yeji to do, so she watched intently.

Jisu grinned once she was satisfied with the trim “What color do you want?” she asks while she reaches for the little box she brought.

When Yeji takes the box, she realizes it’s a cheap little pack of four – the kind you could find at the convenience store – and she found herself giggling. Jisu probably picked it up on her way over when she was getting them snacks as an afterthought. The sentiment was cute though.

“You pick for me”

Jisu grabs the pack back with a little pout on her lips “Light blue it is then”

“Oh?” Yeji chuckled “Why’s that?”

“Because it’s cool and pretty” Jisu told her, pulling the tiny bottle out “Just like you” then for extra measure stuck her tongue out teasingly.

Yeji felt her breath hitch, tried to shake it off as she offered her hands back out. She wiggled his fingers in a friendly taunt.

Jisu held her by the wrist that time, her thumb rubbing soft circles against the knob of her wrist bone. Her tongue poked out at the corner of her pretty mouth in concentration as she gently brushed the polish on. Pretty mouth, pretty girl.

Yeji froze in her spot.

She knew that her best friend was – is – pretty, anyone who could see knew that Jisu is pretty. In that moment though, with the artificial yellow of the bedroom light illuminating her soft barefaced features, long black hair cascading over her shoulders she looked stunning. Yeji’s brain fizzled down to a few concrete thoughts:

_So, so pretty. Am so, so gay._

Jisu glanced up at her, her brow creasing “What?”

Yeji flushed in embarrassment shaking her head “Just don’t wanna mess you up”

“Loosen up, you’re making me nervous” Jisu giggled

Yeji did her best to act naturally, dropped her shoulder and evened her breathing. She thinks she does a good job, despite her heart threatening to pound itself out of her chest.

If Jisu noticed her being a little stiff for the rest of the night, noticed her sudden hesitance in climbing into the same bed when it was time for them to sleep, she didn’t say anything.

Which leaves Yeji in a state of panic by the time she leaves the next day.

It wasn’t the first time that it had happened, getting distracted by how pretty her best friend is, but it was definitely the first time she wasn’t able to recover her train of thought within minutes.

Yeji stops her pacing and lets out a frustrated groan as she flops down onto her bed, intent to bury her face in her pillow and throw a silent fit. The moment her face touches the pillow she’s assaulted by a pleasant fruity scent, different from her own floral body wash. A takes a deep breath to inhale more of the pretty scent. Her eyes snap open moments later when she realizes what she’s smelling. Jisu.

Her bed smells like Jisu.

“I can’t fucking do this” she says to herself, jumping up and running out of her room.

**< ><> **

The way Yeji sees it, she only has two options:

1) Come clean and admit that she is in love with her best friend.

2) Ignore her feelings and pretend that everything is normal.

The healthy decision would be to admit it, at least to herself. But admitting it is dangerous, having a crush on her best friend could very easily ruin her most important friendship. Could very easily mess up her whole life if Jisu doesn’t like her back.

Option two is the safer bet. If she ignores it, if she shoves her feelings deep into the back of her mind and puts a lid on them to cover them up then eventually, they’ll go away on their own. If she pretends everything is normal, then everything will go back to being normal. Fake it until you make it.

**< ><> **

Despite the decision to ignore and pretend, Yeji still finds herself staring for longer than she means to. Her eyes always wander back to Jisu at any given chance when the two of them are together. That in and of itself wouldn’t be an issue, but she starts noticing things and that’s where Yeji runs into Big Problem #2:

Everything about Jisu is round and cute and _soft_.

Yeji is pretty good at not gawking at the round curve of Jisu’s hips, doesn’t even stare at the gentle slope of her neck – she tries not to be creepy. Unfortunately, that really only leaves her best friends face to stare at. Which is where Yeji finds the main cause of the problem.

Jisu wearing lipstick wasn’t anything new. She’d always had more of an affinity for makeup, has been wearing lipstick for as long as they’ve known each other. However, she had always stuck to neutral shades, matte pinks and soft nudes, until now.

Now, Jisu was going around with a glossy cherry red painted neatly over her plump round lips.

Yeji would very much like to know where this sudden fascination – no, _infatuation_ – with her best friend’s lips came from, because it’s ruining her plan to ignore, ignore, ignore.

**< ><> **

“You’re staring” The teasing tone is Jisu’s voice is impossible to miss as she turns to face her.

Yeji flushes in an instant. She _knows_ that she’s staring but to be fair it wasn’t her fault. Jisu had been absent mindedly tapping her pencil eraser against her lips while they were studying, smearing her red gloss all over the piece of rubber and it was gross as all things but Yeji couldn’t stop watching in some sort of perverted daze.

“Sorry” Yeji cleared her throat “was just looking at your lipstick.”

“You like it?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty” Yeji shrugs, tries to play it off casually “It suits you.”

Jisu’s face lights up at that, nose scrunching cutely as she beams at the compliment “Thank you! Chaeryeong gave it to me.” she reaches into her bag excitedly “It tastes like cherries!”

Yeji blinks in surprise as the wand applicator for that damn lipstick is being shoved under her nose, being instructed to smell it.

She swallows dryly once the other has gone back to doing her science homework, suddenly the imagery of what Jisu’s lips taste like is too vivid in her mind.

**< ><> **

Yeji doesn’t hesitate to approach Chaeryeong the next time she sees her at their school’s soccer practice. They’re good teammates, good friends, they get along well, so Yeji isn’t worried about how the younger girl will take it when the first thing out of her mouth to her is:

“You ruined my life.”

Chaeryeong laughs in surprise “What did I do exactly?”

“I can’t explain it in words” Yeji sits down on the grass with a huff “Just know my life has become so complicated and you’re at least 50% at fault”

Chaeryeong adjusts her goalie gloves, redoes the Velcro and then giggles “But you don’t seem mad at me?”

“I wouldn’t say that” Yeji pouts

The younger of the two seems more amused by this than anything “Well, I’m sorry for whatever I did” but she doesn’t sound sorry and she looks – she looks like she knows exactly what she did.

Yeji’s about to ask just what that look is for when their coach calls for the team to huddle.

(And if Yeji’s a little more aggressive shooting goals during practice, no one needs to know it’s because she’s taking her gay frustration out on Chaeryeong.)

**< ><> **

Yeji can’t even remember what they were laughing at but there they were curled up on Jisu’s bed full on cackling about something stupid. She’s clenching her stomach, can’t even breathe from laughing when she sees the look on her best friend’s face.

“You’re. heh. You’re staring” Yeji teases through her giggles “What’s up?”

Jisu’s face falls slightly “I- nothing.” Shakes her head “It’s stupid”

“Now you have to tell me!”

“You just,” Jisu shrugs, but smiles brightly despite her feigned nonchalance “You just make me really happy; you know?”

Suddenly Yeji can’t breathe again for an entirely different reason.

**< ><> **

Yeji finds herself pacing her around in her room again, the nail of her pinky finger being the victim of her anxious nail biting this time around.

So, ok, she admits it. She’s in love with Jisu. She’s in love with Jisu and that’s fine, terrifying, but fine.

The only issue now is that she can’t tell anybody. All of her friends are also Jisu’s friends and she doesn’t want to strain their group dynamic by making anyone keep a secret like this.

There’s a bang at her door, followed by her sister’s annoyed complaint of “Yeji stop pacing I can hear you from my room!”

Yeji jumps a little, surprised by the intrusion and then she realizes that if nothing else maybe her older sister could provide some sort of love advice “Wait!” she runs to her door, throwing it open to catch her “I need your help.”

Her sister shoots a confused look but walks into Yeji’s room nonetheless without much fanfare only asking a simple “Help with what?” as she plants herself in the desk chair and crosses her arms.

Yeji sits on her bed, chewing the nail on her index finger, trying to think of how to word her question until she’s shot another annoyed look

“So, say you have a crush on-”

“I confess” her sister promptly cuts her off “That simple”

“It’s not that simple” Yeji denies, shaking her head “If I confess it would change everything”

“Yeah, and?”

Yeji blinked “I don’t want to ruin things”

“Worst case scenario you get rejected” her sister drawled “Best case scenario you don’t get rejected, either way it’s better than this anxious limbo you’re currently in.”

Yeji clicked her tongue in disapproval. Her sister just doesn’t _get_ it. This isn’t some random person in one of her classes that she could easily get over. This was Jisu.

“Never mind” she shook her head standing back up and grabbing her soccer bag from under her desk, shoving her ball under her arm “I’m going to the park”

Her sister, annoyingly, cackled at her “Yeah, yeah” she started walking out of the room, throwing a quick glance over her shoulder and calling back “Let me know when you and Jisu finally make out I have a bet running with her brother!”

“Fuck off!” it takes all of her willpower not to chuck her soccer ball at her.

**< ><> **

Her sister was no help, which wasn’t downright surprising because her sister was never actually helpful, but it still frustrated her. Yeji could feel herself glowering as she ran through a few solo drills with her soccer ball alone in the park. She doesn’t even know how long she’d been at the park, doesn’t think it matters too much as long as she’s home before the streetlights come on.

“Hwang Yeji!”

She whips her head around, foot trapping her ball, shocked to hear her name being called. She scanned the mostly empty park until she saw who the voice belonged to. Raised her brow at the sight of the lanky boy standing a little ways away, his own soccer ball under his arm.

“Hwang Hyunjin!” she grinned “What’s up?”

“I’m meeting up with some of the guys to get some extra practice in before the game this weekend” he says as he jogs over to her “What’re you doing here?”

Yeji bites the inside of her cheek and shrugs “Practicing too”

She gives the boy a once over, considers asking for his opinion. She’s known Hyunjin since they were thirteen and had been partnered up for a science project. Technically he was her first kiss, but they agreed to never talk about that because they had both immediately wrinkled their noses after and agreed that it was like kissing a sibling. Now they’re friends, Hyunjin is a midfielder for their school’s boys’ soccer team, and Yeji is the girl’s team’s forward, so they get to see each other often. The school calls them the powerhouse Hwang siblings. She wonders if they’re close enough to ask. As long as Yeji has known him, he’s always been nice, always been willing to help. She decides it can’t hurt.

Yeji sighs “Let me pose a hypothetical to you”

Hyunjin perks up a little, setting his soccer bag and ball down against the tree that she had left her own bag at. “Go for it” he grinned

“So, hypothetically, you have a crush on a girl-”

“Unlikely but proceed.”

She shoots him a quick glare “Hypothetically you have a crush on your friend-”

He holds his hand up to interrupt her again laughing as he does “Oh, is this about how you’re in love with Jisu?”

Yeji’s mouth snapped shut with an audible _click_ as she stared at the boy with wide eyes. It took her minute to compose herself enough to cough out a “Excuse me?”

“Jisu, your best friend” Hyunjin says simply “You’re in love with her.”

“What gave you that impression?”

“You’ve liked her for years,” Hyunjin shrugs “It’s kinda obvious”

“I see” Yeji blinks “What should I do about it?”

He’s laughing and it’s kind of pissing her off “You should ask her out.”

“I absolutely should not”

“Look, Yeji” he shakes his head “She’s your best friend. Even if she rejects you, I doubt she’ll stop being your friend.”

She purses her lips “Who all are you meeting? I want another opinion”

“No, you don’t” he snorts “Felix has been pining for the same guy for years and Jeongin’s an Aquarius. I wouldn’t trust either of them for advice”

That at least makes her giggle, boosts her mood considerably.

“You wanna hang back and practice with us?” he asks.

Yeji nods, she could use a distraction.

**< ><> **

When Yeji scores the winning goal she’s immediately pulled into the huddle of her screaming teammates. Pride bubbles in her chest as she’s given hugs and congratulations. Eventually, the group makes their way to the side lines, Chaeryeong hooking her arm over her shoulder as they find their friends in the crowd on the side lines. Chaeryeong was able to block all but one goal and Yeji had scored more than her average amount of goals.

Ryujin finds them first, grinning ear to ear “The way literally no ones doing it like you two” she jokes, offering a high five to each of them.

Yeji’s still out of breath but giggles when she reciprocates the gesture. The next to approach them is Yuna, who comes practically sprinting down the side lines with their water bottles in her hands.

“That was awesome!” she gushes, handing them their drinks

Chaeryeong giggles “I know right!” shoots their friends a thumbs up “We’re like a dream team”

And then Yeji spots Jisu. She’s hanging back a few feet away, arms behind her back and a tight lipped smile plastered on her face.

Yeji bounces her eyebrows at her “And what?” she teases her best friend

Jisu shakes her head, joining the group with a giggle “Just waiting my turn is all” her grin widens as she pulls a bouquet of roses from behind her back.

“This is a soccer game” Ryujin complains “Isn’t that going overboard?”

Jisu just sticks her tongue out at the younger girl as she hands a single rose to Chaeryeong “Excuse me for being the best best friend in the world” she laughs as she dumps the rest of the bouquet into Yeji’s arms.

Yeji feels her own face flush despite knowing this was purely a platonic gesture. She buries her face in the petals of the flowers to hide her blush, taking a deep breath in before mumbling out a soft “Thank you”

They find a place on the ground on the side lines to sit as they wait for the boys’ game to begin. Jisu takes a spot behind her and immediately takes to running her hands delicately through Yeji’s hair, trying to untangle her mess of a ponytail.

She makes eye contact with Hyunjin from where he’s warming up with a few other boys. He gives her a once over and then wiggles his eyebrows mockingly when he sees Jisu’s fingers in her hair. Yeji rolls her eyes at him, juts her chin out playfully in acknowledgement. He shakes his head as he laughs, sends her a wink and then turns away to join the team huddle.

There’s a sudden yank in her hair which makes her whine “Ow, Jisu!”

“Hm?” Jisu hums unapologetically “Oh sorry”

Yeji can’t help but wonder what that could have been about.

**< ><> **

The sound of Jisu humming along to the music playing from her phone fills the air of Yeji’s room. Jisu had somehow coaxed her into letting her do her makeup. Which is fine, Yeji finds the experience of just closing her eyes and letting her best friend brush over her face is rather relaxing.

“So,” Jisu sounds kind of hesitant as she’s just finishing Yeji’s mascara “You and Hyunjin seem to be getting along…”

Yeji cocks her brow in confusion, “I mean, not any more than usual.”

“No?”

“We’re friends,” Yeji shrugs “I think he’s got a boyfriend – the cute guy with soft eyes on the baseball team.”

“Oh.” Jisu blinks “You’re not interested in him?”

Yeji snorts “Ew, no.”

“Okay” there’s a smile tugging at the smaller girl’s lips as she shuffles through the few lipsticks that Yeji owns “Close your eyes again, you’re making me nervous.”

Yeji rolls her eyes dramatically but complies and sits there waiting for lipstick to be applied to her lips.

“Is there anyone you’re interested in?” Jisu asks the emotion in her voice impossible to discern

Yeji resists the urge to bite her lip “Kinda”

“Who?”

“Guess”

Jisu doesn’t say anything for a long moment as she slowly paints a lipstick over Yeji’s lips.

Yeji assumes it’s because she’s focusing on what she’s doing, but then Jisu continues to stay silent even after she’s finished. Yeji feels the other’s thumb trace over her bottom lip, then almost without warning there’s a gentle pressure against her lips that tastes like cherries.

Tastes like – Yeji’s eyes fly open just as Jisu pulls back.

“Sorry I –” Jisu clears her throat, rushing to her feet “I just – sorry. I’ll leave.”

Yeji sits there in shock as her best friend practically sprints out of her house.

Jisu kissed her. She can’t believe it.

**< ><> **

Jisu avoids her.

It’s kind of pissing Yeji off because Jisu won't answer any of her texts, wont pick up the phone. She won't even make eye contact with her when they see each other in the hall let alone stop to talk to her.

Yeji’s left completely in the dark and confused. She doesn’t even know what to tell her friends when they ask what’s wrong.

**< ><> **

“Let me ask you another hypothetical,” Yeji says, sitting down at Hyunjin’s lunch table. Not caring in the least that she’s interrupting whatever conversation the boy was having with his friends.

Hyunjin blinks at her in confusion “I- okay. What is it?”

“So, hypothetically your best friend-”

“Oh my god.” Hyunjin laughs “Yeji, just ask her out.”

“Let me finish” She shoots him an annoyed glare

Hyunjin holds up his hands in surrender. His friends seem interested in what she has to say, all five boys looking at her expectantly.

“So, hypothetically,” she starts again, “say your best friend kisses you.”

Hyunjin nods his head.

“And then runs away and refuses to talk to you. What do you do?”

It’s not Hyunjin that answers first, instead it’s the squirrely looking boy that she thinks is in her science class – Han Jisung who pipes up.

“Huh.” he furrows his brow “She kissed you? Just like that?”

“Yeah!” Yeji throws her hands up in frustration “No warning or anything just fucking smooched me and left”

Then it’s the boy with soft eyes from the baseball team that Yeji has never formally met that speaks up next with a “Doesn’t that mean she likes you?”

“But!” Felix interrupts him “Seungmin, now she won’t talk to her. Doesn’t that say something?”

Yeji opens her mouth to respond when she’s cut off again.

“Her friend is just having a gay panic” Jeongin says, sagely nodding his head

Yeji clicks her tongue “What do I do about my friends gay panic then?”

“Ask her out” Hyunjin repeats “Seriously, just find her and tell her that you like her.”

Yeji deflates a little as she stands up from the table “Thanks for listening, sorry to interrupt”

She makes it about three steps away before Hyunjin calls out to her.

“Hwang Yeji” he grins when she looks back at him “Keep us updated, we’re all invested now”

Yeji can’t help the laugh that bubbles out from her as she sends the table a little salute as she leaves.

**< ><> **

It takes her a few days to muster up the courage to finally confront Jisu, but the moment she rolls out of bed that Saturday she’s made up her mind. She’s going to ask her best friend out that day and nothing would stop her.

Except when Yeji knocks on Jisu’s front door she’s greeted with her younger brother.

“Lia’s not here” he deadpans the moment he sees her

Yeji blinks “Where is she?”

“I don’t know” he shrugs “She took a walk”

She shifts in her place with a small grimace “I see”

“Yeji,” he snorts “You know her as well as anyone, you can probably guess where she went”

There’s a small community garden in Jisu’s neighborhood. It’s the first place that comes to Yeji’s mind when she thinks of where the other could have gone.

Evidently, she’s right.

She finds Jisu tucked away in the far corner of the garden, sitting on a small bench facing a flower patch. Her loose hair being gently tousled by the breeze as she leans into the sunlight, her eyes closed gently. She looks beautiful, but Yeji’s upset at her so she doesn’t let herself stare for long.

She stops over to the bench, ungracefully planting herself in the small open space. Jisu jumps in surprise, eyes snapping open as she turns to look at whose suddenly joined her.

“You haven’t been answering my texts” Yeji tells her stiffly, takes all her willpower not to start biting her nails.

“I-“ Jisu bites her lip and Yeji is almost distracted by that _fucking red lip gloss_ except Jisu looks genuinely distressed “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have – you know. Just-” she shakes her head “Can we just pretend it didn’t happen?”

Yeji feels her own eyebrows raise “No.” she clicks her tongue in anger suddenly erupting “You can’t just – _kiss someone_ and then avoid them and then refuse to talk about it. That’s not how this works, you bitch.”

Jisu’s jaw dropped a little in shock as she stared dumbfounded at her. But she doesn’t say anything so Yeji continues.

“Do you know how long I’ve had a crush on you?” she throws her hands up “And I’ve had to hide it because you’re my best friend I didn’t wanna ruin anything But then you” she points “You just fucking kiss me. And now I’m supposed to pretend like you didn’t? How the hell is that fair?”

“You have a crush on me?”

Yeji scowls at the little smile playing at Jisu’s glossy lips “Maybe”

“Good” Jisu giggles, “Because I maybe have a crush on you too.”

“I’m mad at you” is all Yeji can think of to say.

Jisu scoots closer “Let me make it up to you then”

Jisu’s hand slowly comes up to cup Yeji’s cheek as she leans in. This time Yeji’s prepared for the gentle press of lips against hers, gets to savor the artificial cherry flavor. She pouts a little when Jisu breaks away, resting their foreheads against each other.

“Still mad at me?” she asks breathily

Yeji chuckles “A little”

Jisu smiles as she takes Yeji’s hand and intertwines their fingers before leaning back into a normal sitting position. Then, she laughs bringing her free hand to swipe a finger across Yeji’s bottom lip.

“I got my lip gloss on you” she explains, showing a red smudge across her finger.

Yeji couldn’t bring herself to mind. 

**Author's Note:**

> anyways stan itzy  
> Feed back is appreciated!!  
> my [tumblr](https://mydaygravity.tumblr.com/)  
> my [twitter](https://twitter.com/skzdays)  
> my [curious cat](https://curiouscat.qa/skzdays)


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